Mason County, Texas
What pays more on your base acres for a typical farm here, crop by crop. 2026 signup ends Dec 11.
Your PLC yield is on your farm’s FSA-156EZ. Not sure? Leave it on About the same.
Clear pickLeansCloseNo answer yet
They come out less than $1 apart per base acre.
PLC only pays if wheat averages under $6.35 a bushel for 2026.
2027: no 2027 price yet
They come out less than $1 apart per base acre.
PLC only pays if wheat averages under $6.35 a bushel for 2026.
2027: no 2027 price yet
A PLC yield that high is above the county benchmark yield, so this page cannot figure it. Ask your FSA office.
2027: ask your FSA office
FSA’s county average PLC yield is above the county benchmark yield, so there is no typical-farm answer. Ask your FSA office.
2027: ask your FSA office
FSA’s county average PLC yield is above the county benchmark yield, so there is no typical-farm answer. Ask your FSA office.
2027: ask your FSA office
FSA’s county average PLC yield is above the county benchmark yield, so there is no typical-farm answer. Ask your FSA office.
2027: ask your FSA office
ARC-CO comes out about $9 more per base acre, but that swings from year to year. PLC did not come out ahead in any of the 11 price years we ran. Oats borrow corn’s price swings, so they stop at Leans.
PLC only pays if oats average under $3.05 a bushel for 2026.
2027: no 2027 price yet
ARC-CO comes out about $9 more per base acre, but that swings from year to year. PLC did not come out ahead in any of the 11 price years we ran. Oats borrow corn’s price swings, so they stop at Leans.
PLC only pays if oats average under $3.05 a bushel for 2026.
2027: no 2027 price yet
ARC-CO comes out about $9 more per base acre, but that swings from year to year. PLC did not come out ahead in any of the 11 price years we ran. Oats borrow corn’s price swings, so they stop at Leans.
PLC only pays if oats average under $3.05 a bushel for 2026.
2027: no 2027 price yet
Counter sheet for the FSA office Share this county
2026. The 2026 crop is mostly harvested, so each scenario uses a normal Mason County crop (FSA’s 2026 benchmark yield) and only the price moves. Prices start from USDA’s projected 2026/27 season-average prices (USDA WASDE, Oct 9, 2026: wheat $6.30, oats $3.35; FSA table of Sep 11, 2026: peanuts $0.2400). Around that price we ran each past year with a final USDA price: how far that year’s final season-average price ended from October futures, for corn and soybeans. Wheat, peanuts, oats have no October futures history of their own, so they borrow corn’s October swings (wheat its own price changes, scaled to corn’s size) and stop at Leans.
2027. Wheat, peanuts, oats: no 2027 price outlook we can check against past years, so no 2027 answer.
Typical farm. FSA’s county average PLC yield (wheat 24.2 bu; peanuts 4,216.9 lb; oats 29.6 bu) and FSA’s official benchmark. “Lower” and “Higher” mean 15% under or over the county average. Payments are per base acre and count FSA’s 85% payment acres, before sequestration and payment limits.
How we call it. Clear pick when one program averages at least $2.00 more per base acre, the gap is more than t times its standard error (2.26 for 10 years, 2.23 for 11), and it paid more in at least 3 of the years. Leans when the gap is at least $3.00 and one standard error, and it paid more in at least 3 years. Close otherwise. When both round to $0: neither expected to pay.
| Crop | Practice | Year | PLC | ARC-CO | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | All practices | 2026 | $4.46 | $3.79 | Either one |
| Wheat | All practices | 2027 | none | none | No 2027 price yet |
| Peanuts | All practices | 2026 | none | none | Ask FSA |
| Peanuts | All practices | 2027 | none | none | Ask FSA |
| Oats | All practices | 2026 | $0 | $8.75 | Leans ARC-CO |
| Oats | All practices | 2027 | none | none | No 2027 price yet |
Sources. FSA 2026 ARC-CO benchmark yields (county file of Jan 16, 2026); FSA county average PLC yields, program year 2025; FSA price tables of Sep 11, 2026; USDA WASDE, Oct 9, 2026; CME futures: Dec 2026 corn and Nov 2026 soybean October average through Oct 8, 2026; Dec 2027 corn and Nov 2027 soybean close of Oct 9, 2026; USDA NASS season-average prices for closed marketing years; FSA ARC-CO county files, program years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 (county yields and payments). Full method and back-test.
All practices, 2026: Close, either one: about $0.67 apart, too small or too uncertain to call (expected $4.46 PLC vs $3.79 ARC-CO per base acre; PLC paid more in 6 of 11 past-year scenarios, ARC-CO in 0).
PLC pays on any season-average price below $6.35, up to $54.10 per base acre at the $3.72 loan rate, so it protects against a deep price drop. ARC-CO is capped at $17.66 per base acre but also pays when the county’s yield is short; it paid something in 6 of the 11 past-year scenarios. With prices centered at $6.30, PLC is expected to pay $4.46 and ARC-CO $3.79 per base acre.
2027: No 2027 price yet: there is no 2027 price outlook for this crop we can check against past years, so no call. Type a price in the calculator to see the dollars. The 2027 view uses FSA’s 2026 benchmark; FSA posts 2027 later.
For a typical farm: FSA’s county average PLC yield 24.2 bu (program year 2025) and the official 24.80 bu benchmark. County yields from this county’s own FSA yields. Run your own numbers in the calculator below.
Average PLC yield on enrolled wheat base in this county: 24.2 bu (FSA, program year 2025). Your farm’s own is on the FSA-156EZ.
FSA trend-adjusted county yields (county yield or 80% of T-yield): 2020: 35 (dropped) · 2021: 35 · 2022: 14.4 (dropped) · 2023: 14.4 · 2024: 25 (struck: high and low). Middle three average: 24.80 bu.
At a season-average price equal to the 2026 effective reference price ($6.35/bu), PLC pays nothing and ARC-CO pays when the county yield comes in below 24.5 bu, reaching its cap below 21.3 bu.
| PLC yield, % of your official benchmark | Which pays more, by season-average price |
|---|---|
| 60% 14.9 bu | PLC pays more at $4.95 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $4.96 to $6.17. Both pay the same at $6.18. PLC pays more from $6.19 to $6.34. Neither pays at $6.35 or higher. |
| 70% 17.4 bu | PLC pays more at $5.15 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $5.16 to $6.12. PLC pays more from $6.13 to $6.34. Neither pays at $6.35 or higher. |
| 80% 19.8 bu | PLC pays more at $5.30 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $5.31 to $6.01. PLC pays more from $6.02 to $6.34. Neither pays at $6.35 or higher. |
| 90% 22.3 bu | PLC pays more at $5.41 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $5.42 to $5.67. PLC pays more from $5.68 to $6.34. Neither pays at $6.35 or higher. |
| 100% 24.8 bu | PLC pays more at $6.34 or lower. Neither pays at $6.35 or higher. |
| Year | Benchmark | Price | County yield | ARC-CO $/ac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 29.25 | $5.50 | 4.00 | $16.09 |
| 2023 | 29.25 | $5.50 | 13.00 | $16.09 |
| 2024 | 28.45 | $6.21 | 25.00 | $13.94 |
| 2025 | 27.38 | $6.98 | 3.00 | $22.93 |
Program year; benchmark yield in bu/acre; benchmark price $/bu; actual county yield; ARC-CO payment rate per acre before the 85% factor. All from FSA’s files. Older program years use older windows and prices, so they are history, not this year’s benchmark.
All practices: no typical-farm verdict. FSA’s average PLC yield for the county (4,216.9 lb) covers all practices and is above this benchmark (3,396.27 lb), so it does not describe a typical farm here. Run your own PLC yield below.
Average PLC yield on enrolled peanuts base in this county: 4,216.9 lb (FSA, program year 2025). Your farm’s own is on the FSA-156EZ.
FSA trend-adjusted county yields (county yield or 80% of T-yield): 2020: 4100 · 2021: 3104 · 2022: 2984.8 (dropped) · 2023: 2984.8 · 2024: 4801 (dropped) (struck: high and low). Middle three average: 3,396.27 lb.
At a season-average price equal to the 2026 effective reference price ($0.3150/lb), PLC pays nothing and ARC-CO pays when the county yield comes in below 3,056.6 lb, reaching its cap below 2,649.1 lb.
| PLC yield, % of your official benchmark | Which pays more, by season-average price |
|---|---|
| 60% 2,037.8 lb | PLC pays more at $0.3149 or lower. Neither pays at $0.3150 or higher. |
| 70% 2,377.4 lb | PLC pays more at $0.3149 or lower. Neither pays at $0.3150 or higher. |
| 80% 2,717.0 lb | PLC pays more at $0.3149 or lower. Neither pays at $0.3150 or higher. |
| 90% 3,056.6 lb | PLC pays more at $0.3149 or lower. Neither pays at $0.3150 or higher. |
| 100% 3,396.3 lb | PLC pays more at $0.3149 or lower. Neither pays at $0.3150 or higher. |
| Year | Benchmark | Price | County yield | ARC-CO $/ac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3,379.60 | $0.2675 | 2457.00 | $90.40 |
| 2024 | 3,379.60 | $0.2675 | 4801.00 | none |
| 2025 | 3,024.53 | $0.3150 | 2282.00 | $114.33 |
Program year; benchmark yield in lb/acre; benchmark price $/lb; actual county yield; ARC-CO payment rate per acre before the 85% factor. All from FSA’s files. Older program years use older windows and prices, so they are history, not this year’s benchmark.
All practices, 2026: Leans ARC-CO: expected about $8.75 more per base acre; PLC did not pay more in any of the 11 years, but the gap is within the normal swing (expected $0 PLC vs $8.75 ARC-CO per base acre; PLC paid more in 0 of 11 past-year scenarios, ARC-CO in 9). Capped at Leans: this crop borrows corn’s price swings.
PLC pays on any season-average price below $3.05, up to $21.39 per base acre at the $2.20 loan rate, so it protects against a deep price drop. ARC-CO is capped at $17.01 per base acre but also pays when the county’s yield is short; it paid something in 9 of the 11 past-year scenarios. With prices centered at $3.35, PLC is expected to pay $0 and ARC-CO $8.75 per base acre.
2027: No 2027 price yet: there is no 2027 price outlook for this crop we can check against past years, so no call. Type a price in the calculator to see the dollars. The 2027 view uses FSA’s 2026 benchmark; FSA posts 2027 later.
For a typical farm: FSA’s county average PLC yield 29.6 bu (program year 2025) and the official 42.33 bu benchmark. County yields from this county’s own FSA yields. Run your own numbers in the calculator below.
Average PLC yield on enrolled oats base in this county: 29.6 bu (FSA, program year 2025). Your farm’s own is on the FSA-156EZ.
FSA trend-adjusted county yields (county yield or 80% of T-yield): 2020: 50 · 2021: 34 · 2022: 25.6 (dropped) · 2023: 63 (dropped) · 2024: 43 (struck: high and low). Middle three average: 42.33 bu.
At a season-average price equal to the 2026 effective reference price ($3.05/bu), PLC pays nothing and ARC-CO pays when the county yield comes in below 49.2 bu, reaching its cap below 42.7 bu.
| PLC yield, % of your official benchmark | Which pays more, by season-average price |
|---|---|
| 60% 25.4 bu | PLC pays more at $2.26 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $2.27 to $3.54. Neither pays at $3.55 or higher. |
| 70% 29.6 bu | PLC pays more at $2.37 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $2.38 to $3.54. Neither pays at $3.55 or higher. |
| 80% 33.9 bu | PLC pays more at $2.45 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $2.46 to $3.54. Neither pays at $3.55 or higher. |
| 90% 38.1 bu | PLC pays more at $2.52 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $2.53 to $3.54. Neither pays at $3.55 or higher. |
| 100% 42.3 bu | PLC pays more at $2.57 or lower. ARC-CO pays more from $2.58 to $3.54. Neither pays at $3.55 or higher. |
| Year | Benchmark | Price | County yield | ARC-CO $/ac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 40.67 | $2.75 | 63.00 | none |
| 2024 | 36.67 | $3.38 | 43.00 | none |
| 2025 | 49.00 | $3.84 | 54.00 | none |
Program year; benchmark yield in bu/acre; benchmark price $/bu; actual county yield; ARC-CO payment rate per acre before the 85% factor. All from FSA’s files. Older program years use older windows and prices, so they are history, not this year’s benchmark.
Nothing from FSA here for corn or soybeans. Ask the county FSA office for “the 2026 ARC-CO benchmark yield for my county, crop and practice (irrigated or non-irrigated)”, or look it up in FSA’s program data (file: ARC-CO benchmark yields and revenues, program year 2026). Then type it into the calculator.
Break-even prices are per base acre with both programs on 85% of base and 2026 prices. Your PLC yield is on the FSA-156EZ.
Run each crop on each FSA farm number separately. The election is made crop by crop, farm by farm.
FSA has separate irrigated and non-irrigated benchmarks here. A farm with both is weighted by its historical irrigated percentage on FSA’s records, not by what you plant this year.
From the FSA-156EZ. Base acres are not what you plant; each farm number has its own base.
On the FSA-156EZ for the farm. Each farm has its own.
Fills in from FSA’s official county file when we have it. You can type the number your county office gives you.
County average, not your farm. A normal year often comes in a bit above this.
USDA national season-average price for the marketing year, not your local cash price.
Goes on the printout and keeps each farm’s numbers apart on this device.
Loading FSA and USDA numbers for the calculator.
An estimate, not a USDA determination. Source: FSA ARC/PLC program data. Find your county office.
Printed from https://agsist.com/arc-plc/texas/mason-county